Pharrell Runs the Music Industry! 27 Mind-Blowing Facts About the Man Behind It All

Pharrell met his Neptunes partner Chad Hugo at band camp when they were in seventh grade. They started making music immediately!

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The Neptunes signed with legendary hip-hip producer Teddy Riley right after they graduated from high school.

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Remember the classic early '90s song "Rump Shaker," by Wreckx-N-Effect? Pharrell wrote a verse and produced the song in 1992, when he was still a teenager.

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Pharrell helped produce the debut album of Mase in 1997, Puff Daddy's protege and biggest priority on Bad Boy Records at the time.

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The Neptunes met Kelis when she was a completely unknown bartender with a dream. They produced her whole debut album, which came out in 1999.

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Pharrell and Chad Hugo are directly responsible for Britney Spears' most salacious song of all time. They wrote the lyrics and produced "I'm a Slave 4 U."

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Around the time of the smash success of "I'm a Slave 4 U," the Neptunes released their first album with their side project, N.E.R.D.

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"Blurred Lines" isn't Pharrell's first inescapable summer song. He also produced Nelly's 2002 song "Hot in Herre."

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These two must really get along well. Pharrell and Chad released their first album under their Neptunes moniker in 2003.

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The Neptunes produced two songs on The Black Album, considered by many to be Jay Z's finest album.

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"Get Lucky" wasn't the first smash collab between Pharrell and Daft Punk. He also remixed their jam "Harder Better Faster Stronger."

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Pharrell performed the Beatles song "I Saw Her Standing There" at the 2004 Grammys with Sting and Dave Matthews.

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That same night, he took home a Grammy for producing most of Justin Timberlake's debut album, Justified.

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He's not just a producer, obviously. Let's not forget the verse he raps on "Drop It Like It's Hot," which was named the most popular rap song of the decade by Billboard.

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In 2005, Esquire named Pharrell the best-dressed man in the world.

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Pharrell released his debut solo album in 2006, with Kanye West rapping on his single "Number One."

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He performed at the commemorative Concert for Diana in London in 2007, on what would have been Princess Diana's 46th birthday.

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He designed a line of accessories for Louis Vuitton in 2008.

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Go ahead, try to think of a popular artist he hasn't worked with. Pharrell produced and rapped on Madonna's 2008 album Hard Candy.

Pharrell wrote several songs on She Wolf with Shakira in addition to producing songs.

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Pharrell created a sculpture with Takashi Murakami, which was unveiled at Art Basel in 2009.

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Pharrell wrote two songs for Adam Lambert's second album, Trespassing.

Sit down for this one. Pharrell created the new theme music for Chelsea Lately in 2012.

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Obviously he had a hand in the biggest R&B debut in years. He produced two songs on Frank Ocean's beloved Channel Orange.

Oh, maybe you've heard this song? Pharrell stepped out from the studio to show his face in a video for the first time in a while for "Blurred Lines."

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Capping off his hugely successful summer, Pharrell arrived at the 2013 VMAs with a bike gang... wearing jorts. And a straw fedora. Only this man could do it!

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Just days before the VMAs, Pharrell married his long-time girlfriend Helen Lasichanh in a tiny ceremony in France. They have a 4-year-old son named—wait for it—Rocket Man Williams.

Pharrell Williams was impossible to escape this summer. When even your grandmother can sing “Blurred Lines,” you know the man has made a major impact on popular culture. But his influence is even greater than you may realize! Check out what he’s accomplished over the years.